foreign. Those we saw had, for the most part, been
made for us, or for Russian visitors, and it was not a
little ridiculous on one or two occasions to see our
chairs, stowed away with a man on horseback, going
before to the next station. A s for the tables, they
generally consisted of boards put on rickety supports,
and covered with calico. T he moment we finally quitted
apartments we had occupied, our carpets, rugs, etc., were
folded up, and the room speedily “ unfurnished.”
Near the building at Kakir was a small bazaar, but
it was not market day, and many of the houses were
empty. I busied myself, therefore, whilst the tarantass
was coming up, in looking about for objects of interest,
and, among others, examined a native oven.*
When at length our carriage came up we had some
little to do in starting with fresh horses, for one fell,
and had to be taken out. Sevier and I preferred
still to ride to the next station, the wind becoming
stronger, and our horses being not too tired for another
gallop. Yakoob had picked up for us, without my
directions, a ragged hanger-on, whom I supposed to
be going to Bokhara on his own account, but glad
to do so on one of my spare horses, as a recompense
for acting as groom and making himself generally
useful. This fellow had mounted the savage horse
given me by the Emir, and we had a short ra c e ; but
1 soon found that the long-legged creature, vicious as
* It recalled to my mind two passages of Scripture, being like an
earthenware crock, laid upon its side and built about, except in front,
with earth, into the mouth of which was put the grass or other fuel
(Matt. vi. 30'; James i. 11): Yakoob explained to me how they bake
the bread; namely, by making cakes of dough about the size and
thickness of a captain’s biscuit, and then clapping this on the side of
the oven, where it sticks tilhone side is done, the s^me process being
repeated with the other side. Hence a half-hearted person, as
“ Ephraim, is a cake not turned ” (Hosea vii. 8},vy
he was, with a rider who knew how to manage him,
could hold his own, and more, against Diotrephes.
After passing Kash-sardaba* and some distance
before we reached Karaul Bazaar, we saw the latter
building standing out against the sky like some lofty
Russian cathedral, or medresse. This also was built by
Abdullah Khan, for his soldiers, and intended for the
great central caravansary of the Karshi steppe. It
was used as a guard-house, whence escorts were
provided for passengers and caravans. Dr. Schuyler,
in 1873, was provided with a guard in this place,
and we heard that 30 soldiers are still kept on the spot,
but we neither asked for, nor received, any addition
to our company. We saw several old firearms hanging
at the entrance, but not promising much help to a
besieged traveller. The principal building consists
of a square court, surrounded by cloister-looking
corridors with vaulted chambers, surmounted by low
domes. From within the court are seen four lofty
façades, on which there still remain a few coloured
bricks to testify of departed grandeur, but the entire
building is fast going to ruin.
N ear the caravansary is a cistern with what is said
to be good water, and also a deep well of brackish,
disagreeably-tasting water, to which they were letting-
down skins to fill, and hauling them up by four men
walking away, and drawing the rope over a round
piece of wood at the mouth of the well. There were
also some small houses, in one of which we made a
light meal, and then I insisted on proceeding, so as, if
possible, to get to Bokhara that night, a distance of
26 miles. From the Kakir cistern to Karaul Bazaar,
and for a mile beyond, there was ai continuation of
steppe, with some pretence to vegetation here and